If you would like a more in depth synopsis, read just below. If you want to start the story, jump down past the line.
When a catastrophic accident leaves astronaut and astrophysicist Scarlett Sterling stranded aboard a derelict space station, her distress call is answered by an unexpected savior: Optimus Prime. Despite Autobot and human treaty protocols discouraging direct interference with human affairs, Optimus rescues Scarlett.
Scarlett, in turn, is astonished to learn that her space station was sabotaged by a rogue Cybertronian faction searching for a long-lost star map hidden in Earth's distant skies - one that could lead to an uncharted Cybertronian planet believed to hold unimaginable power. As one of the few humans capable of decoding the map, Scarlett becomes an unwitting key in the Autobots' mission to keep it from falling into Decepticon hands, lest another war begins.
What begins as a cautious alliance between Scarlett and Optimus soon deepens into a bond forged through shared dreams of exploration and understanding. Their journey takes them from earth to distant star systems, battling Decepticons and unearthing secrets long buried in Cybertronian history. As their connection grows, so does the danger, as the power of the star map threatens not only their worlds but also their fragile, impossible relationship.
After the end of the Autobot-Decepticon war, Megatron is captured and held in a high-security facility on Earth. Stripped of his power and status, he is interrogated by diplomats and scientists trying to understand the mind of the infamous warlord. Among them is Dr. Aurora Clark, a human psychologist and war trauma specialist tasked with assessing whether Megatron can be rehabilitated - or if he is beyond redemption.
At first, their sessions are tense and confrontational, with Megatron mocking Aurora's efforts to "fix" him and Aurora wrestling with her own fear of the towering mech. But as weeks turn into months, their conversations begin to shift. Aurora's probing questions force Megatron to confront painful memories of his rise to power, his shattered ideals, and the war's devastating toll on his own people.
To her surprise, Aurora discovers that beneath his anger and arrogance lies a deeply wounded being haunted by regret. And to his shock, Megatron finds himself drawn to Aurora's empathy and unwavering determination to see the good in him, even when he cannot see it for himself.
As their unlikely bond deepens, outside forces conspire to disrupt the fragile peace. A Decepticon faction loyal to Megatron launches a rescue mission, willing to destroy anyone who stands in their way - including Aurora. Faced with losing the one person who has come to believe in him, Megatron must make a choice: reclaim his role as the tyrant to save her life, or sacrifice his last chance at freedom to protect her and the fragile hope for a new beginning.
Aurora stared down at her desk and the new assignment Hannah had slapped onto it. She sputtered and shook her head, finally turning her attention back to the woman.
"You have got to be kidding me." Aurora waved the file in her boss's direction. "I mean. . ." it slapped back onto her desk, shuffling her notes around in disarray. "I work with war veterans, not warlords!"
"You're the best we've got, Aurora," Hannah crossed her arms softly. "Unless you don't want it and we can give it to Derek."
That felt even worse. He'd never let her live that down if she reflected the assignment onto him. His power trip would almost be even more nauseating than taking the assignment. Her lips pursed. "They really can't go to anyone else? I'm not even famous, not like Dr. Yark is. Isn't he most renowned for his work in rehabilitation with people who-" her finger circled her ear. "Flipped their lids?"
Hannah sighed. "They already tried him."
"O-ho," Aurora chuckled nervously. "And so they come to their last ditch effort. A female psychologist who deals with trauma?"
"I don't think your gender has anything to do with it, Dr. Clark. And you are not just a trauma specialist, you're a war trauma specialist. One who has a skill under her belt not many others can claim to have. They tried a man who already had a predisposed lack of empathy for him, and he nearly-" Hannah snapped her mouth shut and grimaced to herself.
"Nearly what, Hannah?" Aurora stood from her chair and leaned over her desk, her palms pressed hard into the cold oak.
"Died." Hannah grunted. "Now-now!" Hannah stepped back when Aurora took a step around her desk. "They've secured him even more, he can barely move. And he only almost died because Yark wanted to see if he could be trusted after their sessions."
"Clearly not. How many sessions did they have?"
"Fifteen."
Aurora sucked in a deep breath and let it out with a crying chuckle. "Why don't they do what they've done to nearly all the other Decepticons?"
"The government wants his secrets. He's valuable intel into how we can protect our own planet if any other alien species tries to start it with us."
"Or he's valuable because he'll be the best asset to have if that happens? Do they really expect me to sift through him like a kid in a sandbox and convert him into an American government loyalist and soldier? They do realize this being fought a war with his own species for far longer than humanity has been alive?"
"They're paying 120k yearly, tax exemption, personal healthcare through them, and freedom to take time off when needed."
Aurora stopped and stared at Hannah.
"They know that this is a big ask so they're giving you the biggest benefits they can. You'll also be exempt from any work here, and seeing as you don't have a lot of current clients we can shift them to the others. Especially since they're mostly ready for rehabilitation."
Aurora picked up the file again and stared at the picture of the mech's face that had been clipped to the front of the pages. There were over hundreds of pages from previous psychologists who had tried to work with him. She didn't know if it was an honor or slap to face to be the last one considered before they smelted him. She slapped the file shut and stared up at Hannah. "Fine. Tell them to add restaurant vouchers on top of it and it's a deal."
"I can snag that for you." Hannah let out an exhaustive sigh. "If it's any consolation, Aurora, I told them you wouldn't be up for it. They in turn told me to try. They also told me to tell you that you are doing your nation a big favor."
"Sure, because having a warlord on our side would be the biggest one up to every country, nation, and alien against us."
Hannah smiled warmly at her. "You really are the best in the field. You should be honored they chose you."
"I'll see if I feel that way after our first session. When do I begin?"
"Next week on Monday. They thought it best to give him a week of solitary after what he did to Dr. Yark."
"That's comforting," she grumbled. "But alright. Is this base at least nearby?"
"It's three states over. That's why you're officially not going to be employed by us until this is finished. Your assets here will be frozen until you return. But you will be officially employed by the government while you work with him."
"You should have really led with this. Am I expected to live on this base?"
"No, you'll be moved to a government house down there. They pay for it. Honestly, you'll be getting a full ten-k each paycheck with the benefits they're giving you. When your time is finished, they'll move you back home."
"My current house payment? You know I just got a new house."
"Paid for. They know the risk of this, they know the toll, and they're willing to compensate you wherever they can to get you down there."
Aurora leaned back against her desk and crossed her arms. "If anything happens to me, be it maiming or death, you're the first person I'm coming after."
Hannah shrugged. "I accept those terms, Aurora."
Aurora watched her boss exit her office, her phone out as she dialed whoever had begged her to give them their last ditch effort at a warlord's power. Her eyes trailed back to the file in her hand. Flipping it open she thumbed through the papers. It seemed he had a new psychologist every six months, each one ending their reports with hopelessness for rehabilitation. It had been five years since his capture and the war ended, why hadn't they cut off all hope yet? Why bring her in? Why hold onto a useless hope?
Flipping back to the photo she studied his face. It was menacing, a snarl that probably scared the poor photographer into a coma. She'd never met him face to face, hadn't ever had the desire to. Not that many did, though she knew a few who would have liked to take a whack at him. She expected he would have made short work of their efforts. She flipped through Dr. Yarks notes on him. A few stood out, but one in particular caught her eye.
Does not do well with conversation of past. Proceed with caution.
She flipped to the pages that would have been notes about that conversation. Each page was empty save for a few lines that were underlined or traced over a few times. Every ounce of information on the unshareable was important. Most of it though wasn't shared history though, it was spitfire comments to get Dr. Yark to ask him something different. She could almost feel the anger behind each comment.
Quite a few of the written comments had asterisks over words. Most of them weren't human cursing though, mostly what seemed to be the equivalent of Cybertronian cursing brought to life in english.
Closing the file she sighed. This was going to be an adventure. Hadn't she always told everyone that she wanted one? She couldn't quite complain now could she, considering she was getting what she'd always asked for.
Looking up as Hannah reentered her office, she let a soft smile press across her lips. "All set?"
"All set." Hannah sighed. "I hope you know that we are going to miss you immensely here. By everyone."
"I'll miss you all too. Who knows, I may be back in a few months."
"Who knows." Hannah leaned against the door frame. "You're welcome to come back anytime, even if you're there for a week. I certainly wouldn't blame you if you took one look at him and ran for the hills."
"I'm sure the government wouldn't appreciate that."
"Clearly they're used to it by now. Just. . . Stay safe, okay? Don't go saying or doing something that's going to make you go. . . Squish."
Aurora laughed. Her body leaned back against her desk. She didn't know why she found that so funny - maybe it was just the intensity of nerves that was slowly building up in her stomach. Either way, Hannah joined in on her laughter and they stood there for a few moments, giggling over the descriptive statement. Wiping a tear from her eye, Aurora sighed. "I'll try not to."
"They'll be at your home tomorrow morning to move everything and you. But really. . . Stay safe, we want you back home."
"I am already missing it."
"And hey, if you do happen to rehabilitate him, make sure you don't fall in love. We don't need any romeo and juliet, or worse, Harley Quinn and Joker."
Aurora huffed laughter. "Hannah, he's a giant towering mechanoid warlord who destroyed half our planet just by landing on it. I wouldn't even consider that an option."
Hannah pulled her into a hug. "Just be safe okay? You're not just one of my employees, you're my friend."
Aurora hugged her back. "You too, Hannah. I will be, I promise."
Hi all, I want to come on with a quick note about which universe this takes place in. There might be nods to different things, but personally I'm leaving it up for interpretation of which Transformers Universe you want it to take place in - be it G1, Bayverse, Prime, etc. I'm writing this for fun and to keep up on my writing skills - and because Transformers is a fantastic fandom! Have fun and I hope you enjoy reading this story as I have enjoyed writing it! Also, if you happen to be lurking on AO3 and find this story under a different penname, that is also me. I wasn't going to post here as this is my old haunt, but I thought, why not have a little fun going back to my roots.
While a part of a series, both stories are taking place at roughly the same time.